500 sq ft expediencies

I am glad that you appreciate the economic factors involved. Many fly blindly into something that ends up having to be re done correctly at extra expense. Taking your time and putting together a very detailed plan will serve you well in the long run.

When I build a grow I draw up a floor plan that includes everything, and I mean everything. Make the best use of your space. Build a workflow that you can use. For me the "light locks" you saw in my thread are critical.

You will know where you need power and how much. For everything. This will help your electrician greatly.

Do you have a form of gravity drain that you can use for this? Make sure that it's cool with the state too.
i have been searching for a bit now and can't find any information on the ul/ctl certifications (if you could point me in the right direction that would be super helpful) but from what i can tell drain to waste is allowed and what is available in our predetermined space. as for light locking i can build hallways between the tents if need be and can figure this out when planing the floor space to make sure we can move everything comfortably while growing our highest yields of the best quality buds we can, we are willing to sacrifice a little yield for quality but not to much and hope to make up for that in genetics later on. i really would like to run these quantum boards as building them seems easy and the Chinese ones seem pretty well made for the price. but as you stated they dont last that long and i dont think either of those options would be certified. but holy fucking shit 1300$ 5X5 640w (i think it was) which is like basically a 5x5 area correct me if im wrong, so id need like 26 grand worth of lights and i don't have that kind of money to start, where as i can get that on a chinese baord or build it myself for around 5-600ish maybe less if i build but from what ive seen so far(i havent researched this much yet) bt seems to cost the same or a bit more. i know theres cobs and other leds and such i just havent gotten that far as to searching into them yet, which is where the chm's sparked my interest. so i guess i gotta figure this all out before i can figure out my power consumption
 
If you haven't already bought the property you would do better to find one on the grid. I know that sucks cause they cost more and sometimes aren't as remote, but it's not illegal anymore.

Your going to need ul fixtures I imagine, so I doubt the cheap knock off QB will work for you. Also like mentioned earlier yes QB fixtures might save you some money but is having to replace them sooner worth it?

I don't know anyone using them but the growers choice roi680 looks to be a nice light and I was in a store by Detroit and they were doing them for 850 a piece. If they weren't brand new tech without much user feedback I would have grabbed a couple, but I've made that mistake before buying new tech that wasn't all it was said to be.

Loriflux fixtures are nice, made here in mi I believe, have run into a few guys at the store that claim to be killing it with them. I believe they are a Spyder or fluence copy but around 1k instead of 1500.

Lots of tents makes for lots of work trust me I've done that. It also gets quite expensive as you need fans and equipment for each tent.

Is this new property solely counting on your grow or you still doing landscaping? I can tell ya also that building out a new spot without a job and counting on that income is scary af. Builds are always more expensive than thought. I have a good bit of experience and there are still challenges when moving to a new spot. I might be living off ramen real soon.

That said I'm not trying to discourage you, if you already got the property and can't afford to buy led or don't have the power for de fixtures, then I would run cmh 315s. They pull low amps and you only need 35 watts per sq ft. They don't yield as much per sq ft of bud as de hps(I've yet to seen an led that does either) but in your space you might run out of amps before you run out of sq ft. I loved growing under 315s. In my opinion the single bulb 315 fixture are better than dual bulb 630 fixtures and a lot of guys I've talked to agree. You can still hit a gram per watt with 315, but since your using less watts per sq ft your yield per sq ft is a lil less than de hps. Also Its not much but there is a noticeable difference in quality when running the same strains under cmh vs hps. Bag appeal and smoke is just a lil bit better under cmh in my opinion, enough that if I had bud from both I always kept the cmh grown, but not enough that I wasn't happy with the bud grown under hps when was out of the cmh grown bud and I'm very picky smoker.
 
If you haven't already bought the property you would do better to find one on the grid. I know that sucks cause they cost more and sometimes aren't as remote, but it's not illegal anymore.

Your going to need ul fixtures I imagine, so I doubt the cheap knock off QB will work for you. Also like mentioned earlier yes QB fixtures might save you some money but is having to replace them sooner worth it?

I don't know anyone using them but the growers choice roi680 looks to be a nice light and I was in a store by Detroit and they were doing them for 850 a piece. If they weren't brand new tech without much user feedback I would have grabbed a couple, but I've made that mistake before buying new tech that wasn't all it was said to be.

Loriflux fixtures are nice, made here in mi I believe, have run into a few guys at the store that claim to be killing it with them. I believe they are a Spyder or fluence copy but around 1k instead of 1500.

Lots of tents makes for lots of work trust me I've done that. It also gets quite expensive as you need fans and equipment for each tent.

Is this new property solely counting on your grow or you still doing landscaping? I can tell ya also that building out a new spot without a job and counting on that income is scary af. Builds are always more expensive than thought. I have a good bit of experience and there are still challenges when moving to a new spot. I might be living off ramen real soon.

That said I'm not trying to discourage you, if you already got the property and can't afford to buy led or don't have the power for de fixtures, then I would run cmh 315s. They pull low amps and you only need 35 watts per sq ft. They don't yield as much per sq ft of bud as de hps(I've yet to seen an led that does either) but in your space you might run out of amps before you run out of sq ft. I loved growing under 315s. In my opinion the single bulb 315 fixture are better than dual bulb 630 fixtures and a lot of guys I've talked to agree. You can still hit a gram per watt with 315, but since your using less watts per sq ft your yield per sq ft is a lil less than de hps. Also Its not much but there is a noticeable difference in quality when running the same strains under cmh vs hps. Bag appeal and smoke is just a lil bit better under cmh in my opinion, enough that if I had bud from both I always kept the cmh grown, but not enough that I wasn't happy with the bud grown under hps when was out of the cmh grown bud and I'm very picky smoker.
I will. Reply in detail to this after work I'm just watering the babies before work atm
 
It's marked on the product. Surely you have seen where an electronic item says "UL" on it...
Lol I mean I cant find any laws pertaining to it. The only thing I've found when i search alaska cultivation ul standards is the locks have to meet ul standards. I cant find anything on the lights or other equipment
 
If you haven't already bought the property you would do better to find one on the grid. I know that sucks cause they cost more and sometimes aren't as remote, but it's not illegal anymore.
we have not and this maybe be the info i needed, as im trying to figure out the budget before we go buying a land as well, as for right now we just know we are approved for a set amount and have enough stowed away to make this all happen within the next 90 days

Your going to need ul fixtures I imagine, so I doubt the cheap knock off QB will work for you. Also like mentioned earlier yes QB fixtures might save you some money but is having to replace them sooner worth it?

I don't know anyone using them but the growers choice roi680 looks to be a nice light and I was in a store by Detroit and they were doing them for 850 a piece. If they weren't brand new tech without much user feedback I would have grabbed a couple, but I've made that mistake before buying new tech that wasn't all it was said to be.

Loriflux fixtures are nice, made here in mi I believe, have run into a few guys at the store that claim to be killing it with them. I believe they are a Spyder or fluence copy but around 1k instead of 1500.
id really like to do a combination of uv/led oslon/osram led combos for side lighting under metal haloed or those cmh bulbs i guess depends on the ceilings space we end up with, we are like you we want that extra little thc and terpine over the extra quarter pound if thats a thing, until i guess we can learn how to pull both like @Renfro lol dreams

Lots of tents makes for lots of work trust me I've done that. It also gets quite expensive as you need fans and equipment for each tent.
we are trying to weigh if this will be worth it in the long run, the advantages we see are more controlled spaces for individual strains, mold/mildew/pest/herm control cleaning in between transfers and we can run different light cycles this way with the light locks as ren said.

which leads to your next part
Is this new property solely counting on your grow or you still doing landscaping? I can tell ya also that building out a new spot without a job and counting on that income is scary af. Builds are always more expensive than thought. I have a good bit of experience and there are still challenges when moving to a new spot. I might be living off ramen real soon.
so my dads hitting 67 this year and hes gonna finish working out the season, as my company took A complete shit and we are no more my family has been asking me to research and come up with a bis plan for this all as quickly as possible so we can take advantage of the price drop in the real estate market due to the covid crisis. so with that ill probably not be working on anything but this depending on where we end up. im willing to pull a second job if need be but as my mom doesn't plan on quiting her job as a steady source of income untill things really take off for just in case and my dad having his social security, along with the "necessary flip" im gonna have to make on the extra buds i have going on now i think we should be ok income wise until things take off. we also don't have to do everything all at once, nice thing about the tents is we can open up our grow one section at a time. we would like to keep to a limited cultivation (500 sq ft or less)


That said I'm not trying to discourage you, if you already got the property and can't afford to buy led or don't have the power for de fixtures, then I would run cmh 315s. They pull low amps and you only need 35 watts per sq ft. They don't yield as much per sq ft of bud as de hps(I've yet to seen an led that does either) but in your space you might run out of amps before you run out of sq ft. I loved growing under 315s. In my opinion the single bulb 315 fixture are better than dual bulb 630 fixtures and a lot of guys I've talked to agree. You can still hit a gram per watt with 315, but since your using less watts per sq ft your yield per sq ft is a lil less than de hps. Also Its not much but there is a noticeable difference in quality when running the same strains under cmh vs hps. Bag appeal and smoke is just a lil bit better under cmh in my opinion, enough that if I had bud from both I always kept the cmh grown, but not enough that I wasn't happy with the bud grown under hps when was out of the cmh grown bud and I'm very picky smoker.
when i said i didnt have 23k to spend on lights i just meant all at once lol, if its what it takes we can get it and we can make a plan to make that happen, but i think we are gonna end up running something else on grid more likely as it seems this generator idea isnt the best and the solar doesnt seem to balance out like i thought it would so once we have a new property found we will go from there, but for now im still gonna have to assume that i can get 1-2 pounds in a 5x5 area (with the correct lighting and method)(practice) and go from there
It varies by state so just good to know. They can change these rules anytime they wish too lol
fuck me of course they can. ill just go with ul to be safe
 
we can make a plan to make that happen
Agreed, as long as the plan is a good one then thats the way to go. I built my current basement with a complete plan, knew exactly how it was gonna be before I started. Then I did the "veg" room first and busted a run out of it with just 4 lights. Used the money from that to start putting together room A. Once Room A had lights and trellis rigs and ventilation cooling I ran it for a few runs to get room B going with AC and CO2. Then I took money from that and used it to add AC and CO2 to Room A.
 
Ya in gonna do something like that then gas all then tents with co2 and controllers and such as the money builds. But we really want to run a few prize strains so I think dialing down individual environments will be key to this
 
Agreed, as long as the plan is a good one then thats the way to go. I built my current basement with a complete plan, knew exactly how it was gonna be before I started. Then I did the "veg" room first and busted a run out of it with just 4 lights. Used the money from that to start putting together room A. Once Room A had lights and trellis rigs and ventilation cooling I ran it for a few runs to get room B going with AC and CO2. Then I took money from that and used it to add AC and CO2 to Room A.


I know this isn't my post but I needed that info as well. I was trying to finish my whole building and it's stressing me and everyone around me out lol. I got veg and one flower going so maybe I should slow down and work it up instead of going broke and stressing like a mad man trying to get it all done myself.

To the OP unless you mean some really big ass tents I'd just build some small rooms maybe 10x12 or something like that if you want seperate spaces.. I had a small room 8x11 that barely fit 2 4x8 tables (had to buy low profile just to get ones that fit). I ran 4 de 1k in there and hit up to 10 lbs with no c02 I think I could have had a lil larger footprint with my lighting but that's the only space I had. Anyways tents are cool I did that for a while but it's easier to get yield and to just garden in general with some space.
 
I know this isn't my post but I needed that info as well. I was trying to finish my whole building and it's stressing me and everyone around me out lol. I got veg and one flower going so maybe I should slow down and work it up instead of going broke and stressing like a mad man trying to get it all done myself.

To the OP unless you mean some really big ass tents I'd just build some small rooms maybe 10x12 or something like that if you want seperate spaces.. I had a small room 8x11 that barely fit 2 4x8 tables (had to buy low profile just to get ones that fit). I ran 4 de 1k in there and hit up to 10 lbs with no c02 I think I could have had a lil larger footprint with my lighting but that's the only space I had. Anyways tents are cool I did that for a while but it's easier to get yield and to just garden in general with some space.
does that qualify as really big ass tent? cuz if so then yes thats the plan. otherwise rooms are definitely an option, and by all means help yourself anytime you can pick @Renfro brain its a good time! my plan is to start legal so i dont have a problem selling my product to fund the rest of the grow as we only have a good chunk to start and not enough for everything all at once. i also would be very happy to find taller tents but im not sure if they make them i haven't searched yet, but 10 foot ceilings are hopefully a must in our property purchase, unless we find the perfect place without it
 
don't google 120x120x120 grow tent if your drinking anything cuz you will spit it out on your screen while laughing
 
It's big tent for a home grower, but your talking about going commercial. If it's a speed thing then by all means yes its faster and easier to set up quick and get going. So maybe buy a couple of those while you build out a couple rooms about double the size of this with higher ceilings. Then you can veg in the tents and move them to the rooms to flower. Just an idea

Just tried googling and must have gotten different results didn't see anything funny lol
 
oh the result i got was basically a Mylar camping tent with the cheapest led ive ever seen. quite funny in my opinion. but ya that could be an option as well, as i dont think they make tents like id like, rooms will work just fine though too. just really want about 5 10x10 sections or 10 5x10 sections sense thats about what im limited too till we have expansion money, however we have to optimize the space we have and we will, but im having a bit of a setback with finding a new property, and not knowing my dimensions. Cuz i need know what bulbs im running (hps and mh or cmh), i know im running with the led side lighting *im convinced pumping uv and infrared is gonna make a lot of difference in taste. But that is also something that can come later as we just need a good product for now to start getting the cash flow
 
wow i just reread that, i should defiantly not rush typing. sorry for my broken English. i swear its my first language!
Edited it, its still not the best but you dont wanna stab me with a spoon for having to read it now
 
Gorilla grow tents are hands down best and they make big tall ones. They are pricey but worth it.

Find a place with 10 ft ceilings if at all possible. Unless it's a dry basement, but I love basement grows. I vote 5 -10x10 as I prefer to have enough room for atleast two rows of lights to get more overlap effect.
 
Have you considered buying a property and putting up your own building?
I have another buildng here the same size as current build out and I'm 90% sure I'll still build another building vs using the existing one as there are just something's I would do different if had the chance. Point being that's a solid option
 
Gorilla grow tents are hands down best and they make big tall ones. They are pricey but worth it.

Find a place with 10 ft ceilings if at all possible. Unless it's a dry basement, but I love basement grows. I vote 5 -10x10 as I prefer to have enough room for atleast two rows of lights to get more overlap effect.
price wont be an issue later on if our plan goes well. we aim to not be driven out of the market by having higher quality buds then 80% of the market. with that i dont think we will have a problem getting far but we just have to take alot of time figure out how to do that perfect. and sense we're gonna fuck up somewhere. i wanna minimize that with sectioning so we can still move forward without as big of a hit
 
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